Loading device



March l0, 1936. H, E JSTER 2,033,243

LOADING DEVICE March 10, 1936. H. E. JEsTl-:R 2,033,243

LOADING DEVICE Filed Aug. 24, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 lnvenlor March 10, 1936. H. E. JEsTER 2,033,243

l LOADING DEVICE Filed Aug. 24, 1955 4 sheets-snaai 3 i A I I Inventor E fjy Zlfas'rv l March 10, 1936.

H. E. JESTER LOADING DEVICE Filed Aug. 24, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 nvenlor A Harney Patented Mar. 10, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT orner.'

LOADING DEVICE Harry E. Jester, Jennings, La. Application August 24, 1935, serial No. 37,731

4 claims. (ci. 214-77) The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in loading devices and has for its primary object to materially facilitate and expedite the loading of highway and other vehicles with heavy material, such as bags of rice,

etc.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a loading apparatus of the aforementioned character which may be permanently installed on the vehicle without the necessity of materially altering said vehicle structurally.

Still another very important object of the invention is to provide a loading device of the character described which is power driven and l5 which includes novel means for automatically disconnecting said device from the source of power until after a load is placed thereon.

Still another very important object of the invention is to provide a loading device of the character set forth comprising novel shock absorbing means for preventing damage to the apparatus when said apparatus returns to loading position..

Another important object of the invention is to provide, in a manner as hereinafter set forth,

a loading device which, when not in use, may be expeditiously folded to an out-of-the-Way position beneath the body of the vehicle.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a loading device of the character described which will be comparatively simple in construction, strong, durable, highly efficient and reliable in operation, compact and which may be manufactured and installed at low cost.

All of the foregoing and still further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a study of the following specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like characters of reference designates corresponding parts throughout the several views, and wherein:-

Figure 1 is a view principally in side elevation of a loading device constructed in accordance with the present invention, showing said device in lowered or loading position.

Figure 2 is a view in rear elevation of the invention.

Figure 3 is a view principally in side elevation, showing the device in folded or inoperative position.

Figure 4 is a sectional view, taken substantially on the line 4 4 of Figure 1, with parts omitted.

Figure 5 is a view in transverse section, taken substantially on the line 5-5 of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary view in vertical longitudinal section, taken substantially on the line 6-6 of Figure 2, the treadle being omitted. Y

Figure '7 is a view in vertical transverse section, taken substantially on the line l-l of Fig- 00 ure 1.

Figure 8 is a detail view in perspective of the treadle.

Figure 9 is a detail view ln perspective of one of the attaching brackets.

Figure 10 is a detail view in transverse sec- 5 tion through one of the arm members, taken substantially on the line Ill-I0 of Figure 3.

Figure l1 is a detail view in transverse section through one of the arm members, taken substantially on the line II-II of Figure 1. 10

Figure 12 is a perspective view of an end p0rtion of the guide rod.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, it will be seen that the embodiment of the invention. which has been illustrated comprises a pair of 15 duplicate brackets I which are rigidly secured in any suitable manner on opposite sides of the frame 2 of the vehicle, a portion only of said vehicle being shown and designated generally by the reference numeral 3. As illustrated to ad- 20 vantage in Figure 7 of the drawings, the brackets I include downturned upper and lower end portions. Extending between the upper end portions of the brackets I is a rotary shaft 4 on which a gear 5 is fixed. The reference numeral 6 desig- 25 nates a transverse shaft which is journaled in' the frame 2 forwardly of the brackets I. Fixed on the shaft 6 is a beveled gear 1 and a pinion gear 8, the latter being meshed with the gear 5.

A shaft 9, from any suitable source of power. such 30 as a. power take-off from the engine of the vehicle, drives the gear 1 through a beveled gear I0.

lMounted transversely in the gear 5 is a pin II.

the purpose of which will be presently set forth.

Mounted for swinging movement in a vertical 35 plane on the lower end portions of the brackets I is a. pair of arms which are designated generally by the reference numeral I2, said arms including inner sections A of angle iron and angular outer sections B which are pivotally connected to said 40 sections A, as at C. The pivoted ends of the arm sections B are engageable beneath one of the legs of the angle iron sections A for limiting the swing- 'ing movement of said sections B in one direction, as shown to advantage in Figure 1 of the draw- 45 ings. Further, the pivoted ends of the armV sections B have projecting longitudinally therefrom lugs D beneath which spring projected bolts E are engageable for releasably securing said sections B in unfolded or operative position, said bolts E being slidably mounted on the inner arm sec-` tions A.

Pivotally mounted between the free end por tions of the outer arm sections B is a platform I3 55 having upturned end portions I4, said platform being adapted to receive the material to be loaded, as at I5. Rising from the side edges ofthe platform I3 are ears I6 in which trunnions I'l and I8 (see Figure 5) are mounted, the former being 50 tubular. The trunnions I'I and I8 are journaled in the free end portions of the arm sections B.

Pivotally mounted, as at I9, beneath the platform I3 is a trcadle 20, said treadle extending upwardly through an opening 2I which is provided therefor in said platform I3 for engagement and actuation by the material I5. Rising from the pivotcd end of the treadle and operable in an opening 22 which is provided therefor in the platform I3 is an arm 23. Journaled on the adjacent arm section B is a rocker shaft 24 which terminates, at one end. in an arm 25 and at its other end in an arm 26, the latter being connected to the arm 23 by a link 21 which extends through the tubular trunnion I'l.

The pivots C also constitute means for connecting a pair of forwardly converging lifting hooks 28 to the arms I2. The lifting hooks 28 comprise spaced, parallel free end portions 29 (see Figure 4) which straddle the gear 5i for engagement and actuation by the pin Il. The reference numeral 38 designates a substantially triangular plate which is mounted between the lifting hooks 28. Slidably mounted beneath the plate 30 is a fork 3l the arms of which carry guards 32 which are adapted to close the hooks 28 in a manner to prevent engagement of the pin I I in said hooks. The guards 32 are slidable in gutides 33 which are provided therefor on the end portions 29 of the hooks 2B. Pivotally mounted on the plate 38 is a bell crank lever 34 which is connected, at one end, with the arm 25 through the medium of a link 35. The other end of the bell crank lever 34 is connected by a link 38 to the fork 3I, said link 36 passing through an opening 31 which is provided therefor inthe plate 30. A spring 38 is connected to the bell crank lever 38 for yieldingly urging the guards 32 toward operative position.

Pivctally an-d detachably mounted on the rear end of the bed 39 of the vehicle 3 is a guide rod 48 which is slidably engaged in a sleeve 4I which is xed longitudinally beneath the platform I3. Mounted longitudinally on the sleeve M is a shock absorber which is designated generally by the reference numeral 152. Referring now to Figure 6 of the drawings, it will be seen that the shock absorber l2 comprises an air cylinder 43, in which a piston 38 is mounted for reciprocation. The outer end portion of the sleeve 4I has formed longitudinally therein a slot in which ears Q8, which project from the guide rod d0, are operable. A connecting rod il couples the piston It to the ears 8E, said rod passing slidably through the outer end of the cylinder 43. The inner end of the cylinder i3 has formed therein a vent 48. Mounted in the piston 134 is a check valve t9 which, it will be noted, is arranged to open to permit free passage of the air when said piston is moved away from the vented end of the cylinder but which closes against the passage. of air when the piston is moved toward said vented end of the cylinder. The construction and arrangement is such that the apparatus may be swung rapidly upward to dumping position, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 1 of the drawings, but said apparatus may return by gravity to loading position only as rapidly as is permitted by the air escaping through the vent 48.

In operation, with the platform I3 in loading position, as shown in full lines in Figure 1 of the drawings, the bag of rice I5 or other material is placedon said platform and the treadle 20 is depressed thereby, thus retracting the guards 32. Now, as the gear 5 rotates in a clockwise direction, the pin I I thereon engages the lifting hooks 28 and swings the arms I2, with the platform I3 thereon, upwardly and forwardly-over the bed 39 of the vehicle, during which movement the guide rod 40 rocks said platform I3 between the arm sections B. When the apparatus reaches the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 1 of the drawings, the material I5 falls by gravity therefrom onto the vehicle bed 39. Substantially at this time, the lifting hooks 28 engage the shaft 4 and said lifting hooks are disengaged thereby from the pin il for permitting the apparatus to return by gravity to loading position. However, as hereinbefore stated, the speed of descent to loading position is controlled and cushioned by the shock absorber Q2. When the material is discharged from the platform I3, the treadle 20 is, of course, free and the spring 38 immediately shifts the guards 32 to operative position for preventing the apparatus from again being elevated until after'another load is placed on said platform I3. When in loading position the lifting hooks 28 are adapted to rest on a support 5I) which extends between the inner arm sections A.

To fold the apparatus to inoperative position beneath the bed 39 of the vehicle 3, as shown in Figure 3 of the drawings, the pin 5I, which pivotally connects the guide rod El) to the vehicle bed, is removed to permit the platform I3 to be swung to an inverted position. The arm sections B are then swung forwardly on the arm sections A and said sections A are swung upwardly, during which movements the platform i3 is manipulated or guided between said sections B to its proper position beneath the .vehicle bed. Any suitable means, such as a removable rod 52 mounted in the vehicle, may then be employed for supporting the apparatus in folded or inoperative position.

It is believed that the many advantages of a loading device constructed in accordance with the present invention will be readily understood, and although a preferred embodiment of the appara.- tus is as illustrated and described, it is to be understood that changes in the details of construction and in the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to which will fall within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed is:

l. A loading device for vehicles comprising a pair of arms mounted on a vehicle for swinging movement in a vertical plane, a platform, for the reception of the material to be loaded, pivotally mounted between said arms, a sleeve mounted on said platform, a guide pivotally mounted on the vehicle and slidably engaged in said sleeve, and means connected to the arms for elevating the platform to discharging position.

2. A loading device for vehicles comprising a gear rotatably mounted on a vehicle, means for actuating the gear, a pair of arms mounted for vertical swinging movement on the vehicle, a platform, for the reception of the load, mounted between said arms, a pin mounted on the gear; and lifting hooks pivotally mounted on the arms and operatively engageable by the pin for swinging said arms to elevated position.

3. A loading device for vehicles comprising a gear rotatably mounted on a. vehicle, means for actuating said gear, a pair of arms pivotally mounted for vertical swinging movement on the vehicle, a platform, for the reception of the load, mounted between the arms, a pair of lifting hooks pivotally mounted on the arms, a pin mounted in the gear and operatively engageable with said securing seid sections movement, e platform, fo recel and. suppo ing'the materiel to be loaded, pivotelly mounted between the free end portions of the outer seetions, meens for elevating the arms, and means operatively connected to the platform for rocking seid platform to discharging position when the s :w ere elevated. I 

